Water-wheel



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. M. BOOKWALTER.

(No Model.)

WATER WHEEL.

Patented May 26, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. M. BOOKWALTER. WATER WHEEL No. 452,829.Patented May 26, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. FRANCIS M. BOOKIVALTER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OIIIO.

WATER=WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,829, dated May 26,1891.

Application filed July 14, 1890.

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. BOOKWAL- TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVatcr-Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inwater-wheels; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide amaximum Width of gate-opening for the delivery of water to a wheel ofmaximum width, or two wheels placed end to end on the same shaft;secondly, to regulate this gateopeniug as desired,wherebya portion ofsaid opening delivers the water with unobstructed action andundiminished efficiency, while another portion is partially or whollyclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference-letters indicatecorresponding parts, Figure 1 represents a central section parallel tothe shaft of a wheel-case with a single wheel and operating mechanismmounted therein; Fig. 2, a transverse sect-ion on a; m, Fig. 1, showinga portion of theinterior mechanism; Fig. 3, a gate-openingfor two wheelsand corresponding gates therein; Fig. at, an end view of the regulatingmechanism; Fig. 5, an enlarged View on y 1 Fig. 3; Fig. 6, an

end view of a register-gate and adjacent parts, and Fig. 7 a sectionalview of Fig. 6 on the line .2

The letter A designates a wheel-case of cylindrical or other suitableconstruction, provided with an inlet-opening B and discharge or drafttubes 0. A shaft. D is mounted in stuffing-boxes E in the walls of saidtubes and has an outside hearing, such as a pillowbOX F, and carries adriving-pulley G thereon to transmit the power'of the turbine wheel II,also mounted on said shaft within said case. This wheel maybe single,double, or of any convenient style, since by my arrangement ofgateopening the width of wheel and gates there- It is preferred toemploy a wheel discharging from both ends into the centrally-locateddraft-tubes O, and to form the gate-opening for the same I mount annularflange or side pieces I on the innerends of said tubes, or otherwise,and conveniently bolt or Serial No. 858,669. (No model.)

rivet them thereto. This gate-opening is divided into convenientdivisions by one or more annular plates or partitions .I, supported andbraced preferably to said side pieces by intermediate columns K andconnecting-bolts L, or otherwise. A corresponding gate series M ispivoted on rods 0 in each division of said gate-opening, and each gateis provided with a connecting mechanism to an annular ring P, mounted onrollers P or otherwise, and having a portion of its rim toothed to meshwith respective pinions Q Q, mounted on a regulating-shaft R, carried insuitable bearings S S in said case A, and provided with a hand'wheel Tor other means to rotate it, and with a ratchet U and pawl V orotherfastening means to secure it at any desired degree of rotation inadjusting said gate-sections. The connecting mechanism for each of saidpivoted gates conveniently consists of an arm IV, fixed on said gates,and a connecting-link X, pivot-ed to said toothed ring P, whereby eachgate is rotated to a wholly or partially closed position by itsrespective mechanism when the ring is actuated in the direction of thearrows in Figs. 2 and-5.

The ring-rollers P may be carried on the side pieces, as in Fig. 2, orbe mounted in said ring and roll on said side pieces and partitions, asshown in Fig. 5, or they may be dispensed with. The arrangement ofrings, rollers, and partitions shown in Figs. 3 and oils preferred whenmore than one partition and ring is used, as when a gate-opening for twowheels placed end to end, as indicated at H, and discharging in oppositedirections is employed. This tube may be conveniently of the"doublebucket style, forming two wheels in one, as the Leffel turbine,for instance, in which the inner buckets H discharge centrallyinward andlaterally behind the outer buckets, thus making virtually a doublewheel. hen two such wheels are mounted end to end, as

ruple compound Wheel, or one of four times the power'of a single wheeland requiring a correspondingly-large gate-opening. The

practical difficulties in using such an arrangement are, first, thesuitable arrangement of the gates to supply the large amount of waterrequired without binding or twisting said shown in Fig. 3, they formpracticallya quad-- outer buckets l-I" discharge laterally, and thegate, and, secondly, the ready regulation of the power through such awide gate-opening without loss of efficiency.

My plurality of gates and adjacent parts, as above described,presentthewide gate-opening, and by providing the pinions Q, Q withbearing-faces or meshing engagement of varying width, as shown in Figs.1 and 3, a longitudinal motion of the shaft R will disconnect eachseries of gates. They may thus be operated either in unison or one ormore at a time. The gates are so arranged as to have a tendency to closeof themselves under the action of the incoming. water, and willtherefore remain closed when freed from the regulatingpinions. The gatesmay be alternately pivoted or fixed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or maybe otherwise arranged.

A convenient means for causing the longitudinal or axial movement of theregulatingshaft is by a handled sleeve or collar Y, Fig. 3, havingfinger-like projections slidingly engaged with an annular groove Y andscrewed upon said shaft. By rotating said collar the shaft will be movedaxially to disengage one or more series of gate-sections, whilethehandwheel T will rotate the shaft and collar together by the frictionof the threads or other means without axial movement, and thus adjustthe inclination or arrangement of said sections as desired.

The partitions J may be braced or held by straps J to the case orotherwise to prevent their sagging on the inclosed wheel.

Figs. 6 and 7 show my arrangement applied to a register-gate, in whichstyle the gates are fixed in position between two sets of side plates orrings, one set being movable and the other fixed, and the gates beingalso divided, so that continuous open passages to the wheel are formedby the correct apposition of the outer and inner portions of said gates,while the gate-openings are closed by sliding one set of plates and theinterposed portions of the gates provided with thickened walls past theother set. The outer portions will lap over the inner ones, as indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 6, and thus close the passages.

In Fig. 7 is shown a sectional view of two wheels back to back and fedby a registergate of wide opening divided by a partition j, which is nowsupported by the connecting stationary portions of the gatesintermediately placed,instead of by the columns K. These gates,mountedon projections or shoulders in the partition and side plates, are rotated about the corresponding inner set by the hereinbefore describedmechanism, as shown in Fig. 7. Thus it will be seen that a wheel, eithersingle or compound, of very much greater width andcorrespondingly-inthis application, for central partitions enter aselements in the claims; but I do claim substantially this organizationin a broader sense in my application, Serial No. 357,790, filed July 5,1890, in which the central partitions are not shown, described, orclaimed. The gates in each division are shown in line with thecorresponding gates on the other side of the annular partition andmounted on the same rod 0, respectively. They may be otherwise placed,if so'desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination ,with a water-wheel and a casing for said wheel,having anoutlet-opening leading from each side thereof and having aninlet-opening for the water, of side,

plates and an intermediate annular partition, and a plurality of gatesmounted between saidside plates and said partition, and adjustingmechanism for said gates adapted to be disengaged from one gate, yetpreserve its engagement with the other gate, whereby the water may beout off from one portion of the length of the wheel and be regulatedindependently at another portion of the Wheel.

'2. The combination, with a water-wheel and its inclosing casing havingsuitable inlet and outlet openings for the water, of partitions mountededgewise to the breast of the said wheel within said casing, gatesbetween said partitions, an annular plate rotatably mounted on eachpartition and provided with a gear-segment, intermediate connectionsbetween said annular plate and the gates to operate the latter by therotation of said plate, a pinion meshing with each annularplate segment,a rotatable shaft for said pinions adapted to slide axially, andadjusting means for said shaft, whereby one or more of said pinions maybe thrown out of action and the others remain in operative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS M. BOOKWALTER. Witnesses:

H. M. PLAISTED, A. N. SUMMERS.

